While this primarily affects OO, OO9, TT and O scale modellers, it's worth following the story as Heljan just couldn't make their margins work without going to a model whereby the Manufacturer's website is the only point of sale.
The prices have dropped significantly (Clayton or Class 47 for £99.99, and sound fitted Warship down from £319 to £250, for example).
The Heljan brand is being thought of by many as Accurascale's Railroad plus range, with certain models like the new Warship currently branded as Heljan but ultimately moving into the Accurascale brand.
What follows is Accurascale's words.
Accurascale Limited is proud to announce the acquisition of renowned model railway manufacturer Heljan, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for one of the hobby's most respected and innovative brands.
Under Accurascale ownership, Heljan UK will move to a direct-to-consumer sales model, with all UK sales taking place exclusively via the Heljan UK website. This new approach will allow Heljan to offer exceptional value and closer engagement with customers and lower prices for robust, reliable and durable models in a market demanding more affordability and value for money. This bold new strategy is to encourage new entrants into the hobby, both young and old, as well as offering seasoned modellers exceptional value as they add to their collections or change scales.
The blog with all details is here: https://www.accurascale.com/blogs/news/
Heljan's Danish range will continue to be available through retail networks in mainland Europe, and that range will see expansion in the coming years as well as all new models incorporating new levels of detail, features and fidelity that are in line with Accurascale's approach.
As part of this launch:
OO gauge locomotives will be priced from just £99.95, with selected lines at £49.95
Most O gauge locomotives will be priced from just £299.95, with selected lines below this figure
TT Powered Models Will be Priced from £124.94 and the range will receive further investment through new models
New customer sign-ups will receive 10% off their first order
The Heljan website will offer the same customer benefits as Accurascale, including:
2% cashback in loyalty points when customers register an account
Free UK shipping on orders over £100
Bundle discounts on wagons and coaches where applicable
Up to 5% cashback in loyalty points available through our famous tiered system
Modellers who have previously pre-ordered forthcoming Heljan models that are in development, such as the Class 42 Warship, Class 44, Class 86, in OO, Class 24 in O gauge and Class 55 and Class 122 'Bubble Cars' in TT will now have to pre-order direct on the Heljan UK website, but with a much reduced, more attractive price point. This will be the case for all new Heljan British outline releases going forwards, and it will see a growth of excellently priced models in stock grow over the coming weeks and months.
Customers looking to pre-order the forthcoming Class 153 and 155 DMUs in OO gauge can now pre-order those on the Accurascale website only, as they will now join the Accurascale Exclusives Range!
There is more information on the blog link above.
Heljan used to do some excellent building kits in N. All right, they were mostly American/European style models but could be successfully adapted for UK layouts. I often wondered why they stopped selling them, and whether the moulds are still in existence.
Cheers,
Chris
@Papyrus Heljan kits were ok. Not the best but perfectly usable.
Lots of activity in the TT:120 world, with folk cancelling pre-orders with retailers in favour of ordering direct at the new lower prices (and with extra 10% on first orders too) :) I hadn't ordered before but now have a 55 and a 122 coming, should be July/August I think.
Retailers have apparently been told their pre-orders are all cancelled, so I guess accurascale are pretty sure they never want a retailer market again.
I suspect it's a matter of time before all the vendors go this way except for kiddies toy train intro set type stuff.
Quote from: EtchedPixels on March 26, 2026, 04:01:08 PMRetailers have apparently been told their pre-orders are all cancelled, so I guess accurascale are pretty sure they never want a retailer market again.
I'm assuming you mean Accurascale don't want the Heljan side of the business to go out to retail, and I guess yes that's probably right.
Rails of Sheffield have reduced their Heljan class 47s to the Heljan website price of £99.95 to make sure they don't end up with a load of unsold stock.
Shame the 33s are not discounted yet (but there are five more containers coming over from Denmark in the next few weeks, I believe...
Realistically, it's not far off Dapol only considering direct sales for certain Dapol products though, is it? And we didn't get too excited about Gresley buffets and Stanier coaches cutting retailers out of the market.
Bob
Quote from: Bob G on March 26, 2026, 04:21:17 PMQuote from: EtchedPixels on March 26, 2026, 04:01:08 PMRetailers have apparently been told their pre-orders are all cancelled, so I guess accurascale are pretty sure they never want a retailer market again.
I'm assuming you mean Accurascale don't want the Heljan side of the business to go out to retail, and I guess yes that's probably right.
Rails of Sheffield have reduced their Heljan class 47s to the Heljan website price of £99.95 to make sure they don't end up with a load of unsold stock.
Shame the 33s are not discounted yet (but there are five more containers coming over from Denmark in the next few weeks, I believe...
Realistically, it's not far off Dapol only considering direct sales for certain Dapol products though, is it? And we didn't get too excited about Gresley buffets and Stanier coaches cutting retailers out of the market.
Bob
I think it is pretty clear from what Accurascale have said that Heljan will now only be sold direct to consumer, and all retailer orders have been cancelled - pretty brutal.
Personally I would have said there is quite a lot of difference as regards Dapol because we are talking about a few comparatively "niche" products that were said to be on the margin of viability and this is the only way they could proceed. It doesn't represent Dapol's general business model which is to supply their retailer base and also sell direct to consumer but as a choice and at RRP.
Roy
Quote from: Roy L S on March 26, 2026, 04:56:10 PMI think it is pretty clear from what Accurascale have said that Heljan will now only be sold direct to consumer, and all retailer orders have been cancelled - pretty brutal.
Personally I would have said there is quite a lot of difference as regards Dapol because we are talking about a few comparatively "niche" products that were said to be on the margin of viability and this is the only way they could proceed. It doesn't represent Dapol's general business model which is to supply their retailer base and also sell direct to consumer but as a choice and at RRP.
Roy
The consequences are also different. If I was a retailer right now I'd be very worried because the message is essentially "this is the new pricing model" and it means Hornby and Bachmann and co have to compete with it. Will people pay that much extra for a Bachmann model via a retailer, I suspect the answer in many cases will be a no. If they lose a load of business to cheaper AcurraHeljan models then they'll have to compete on price, and there's probably only one way to do that.
Dapol weren't really trying to change the rules of the game, more run some marginally viable projects the same way they've had been tackled if it was a small business trying to scrape together orders.
Quote from: EtchedPixels on March 26, 2026, 05:04:39 PMDapol weren't really trying to change the rules of the game, more run some marginally viable projects the same way they've had been tackled if it was a small business trying to scrape together orders.
I would not be surprised if Dapol/Lionheart O gauge models went the same way as Heljan and became Manufacturer's retail website only. Their O gauge models always seem to be heavily discounted, in comparison to N and OO.
Quote from: Bob G on March 26, 2026, 06:31:47 PMQuote from: EtchedPixels on March 26, 2026, 05:04:39 PMDapol weren't really trying to change the rules of the game, more run some marginally viable projects the same way they've had been tackled if it was a small business trying to scrape together orders.
I would not be surprised if Dapol/Lionheart O gauge models went the same way as Heljan and became Manufacturer's retail website only. Their O gauge models always seem to be heavily discounted, in comparison to N and OO.
A quick look at the Rails website (chosen as a large retailer - others are available) actually tells a different story. Admittedly it depends on your definition of "heavily discounted" but while there are a small proportion of Dapol O gauge models with very deep discounts, the majority are in the 15 - 20% range which appears fairly consistent with other scales.
What will happen to the O gauge market going forward is harder to predict, there are those who say that as the "boomer" generation with a greater number of generous and/or final salary pensions and larger houses diminishes so will demand for models in the scale and maybe that could transpire.
Roy
Quote from: Roy L S on March 26, 2026, 08:20:38 PM[quote author=Bob G link=msg=880421 date=
I would not be surprised if Dapol/Lionheart O gauge models went the same way as Heljan and became Manufacturer's retail website only. Their O gauge models always seem to be heavily discounted, in comparison to N and OO.
A quick look at the Rails website (chosen as a large retailer - others are available) actually tells a different story. Admittedly it depends on your definition of "heavily discounted" but while there are a small proportion of Dapol O gauge models with very deep discounts, the majority are in the 15 - 20% range which appears fairly consistent with other scales.
What will happen to the O gauge market going forward is harder to predict, there are those who say that as the "boomer" generation with a greater number of generous and/or final salary pensions and larger houses diminishes so will demand for models in the scale and maybe that could transpire.
Roy
[/quote]
Sorry if I was not clear. I meant that the Dapol month by month specials are mostly focused on O gauge. I wasn't looking at other trader's discounts.
Bob
Quote from: Bob G on March 26, 2026, 04:21:17 PMI'm assuming you mean Accurascale don't want the Heljan side of the business to go out to retail, and I guess yes that's probably right.
If you've just been stuffed good and proper by one arm of a business do you continue stocking their other products when you expect them to screw you over again later when they do that with those too ?
I think the general answer is no. I don't see vendors bothering to stock anything Accurascale produces.
Quote from: EtchedPixels on March 26, 2026, 09:33:16 PMQuote from: Bob G on March 26, 2026, 04:21:17 PMI'm assuming you mean Accurascale don't want the Heljan side of the business to go out to retail, and I guess yes that's probably right.
If you've just been stuffed good and proper by one arm of a business do you continue stocking their other products when you expect them to screw you over again later when they do that with those too ?
I think the general answer is no. I don't see vendors bothering to stock anything Accurascale produces.
That's a bit of a knee jerk reaction.
If I were a company stocking Accurascale (and that's not too many tbh) I'd want to hold on to rather than contract that range. The Heljan acquisition is a surprise to us but perhaps not so much to other manufacturers. I've heard that the situation was getting worse and an acquisition was on the cards for a while or the company would have been liquidated.
I don't think anyone would have wanted that.
Bob
On the basis Heljan do not do N gauge, and Accurascale have very little interest in the 'proper' gauge (IMHO) this news doesn't really make a scrap of difference to me...........
.......unless - the companies I do buy from decide to drop their retailers in favour of direct sales, and I can't really see that happening as, for the most part, their retailers do so much for them and to bring all that back in house would increase their costs considerably
Quote from: Newportnobby on March 26, 2026, 10:29:14 PM....... their retailers do so much for them and to bring all that back in house would increase their costs considerably
Now that sounds just like Harry Enfield doing a "loadsamoney" sketch.
Quote from: Newportnobby on March 26, 2026, 10:29:14 PMOn the basis Heljan do not do N gauge, and Accurascale have very little interest in the 'proper' gauge (IMHO) this news doesn't really make a scrap of difference to me...........
.......unless - the companies I do buy from decide to drop their retailers in favour of direct sales, and I can't really see that happening as, for the most part, their retailers do so much for them and to bring all that back in house would increase their costs considerably
In isolation and at this point in time it may seem like it won't make a scrap of difference to an N modeller, or indeed possibly a OO one as the amount of Heljan stocked in a typical traditional model shop is limited. It may potentially have a different effect on the O Gauge modeller and in particular the specialist O stockists like Tower Models in the shorter term, but as I understand it, already (and the big discounts point to this) it was becoming more difficult to sell the O diesels without huge discounts suggesting a market shift.
The point is though that if there is a gradual direction of travel towards direct sales only, each manufacturer going down the route will mean less products for a model shop to stock making it harder and harder to survive. As we depend on those models shops for everything we need to build our model railways (which is way more than just locos and stock) then that WILL make a difference, there is a whole railway modelling ecosystem which depends on the model shops in some form.
Roy
Quote from: Roy L S on March 27, 2026, 09:57:03 AMThe point is though that if there is a gradual direction of travel towards direct sales only, each manufacturer going down the route will mean less products for a model shop to stock making it harder and harder to survive. As we depend on those models shops for everything we need to build our model railways (which is way more than just locos and stock) then that WILL make a difference, there is a whole railway modelling ecosystem which depends on the model shops in some form.
I appreciate that, of course, Roy, but you make it sound as if without locos and rolling stock retailers will just shut up shop. I can't envisage that ever happening as they will have to 'cut their coat according to their cloth' with model railway stuff as, with most of them, that's not all they sell
Quote from: Newportnobby on March 27, 2026, 10:11:25 AMQuote from: Roy L S on March 27, 2026, 09:57:03 AMThe point is though that if there is a gradual direction of travel towards direct sales only, each manufacturer going down the route will mean less products for a model shop to stock making it harder and harder to survive. As we depend on those models shops for everything we need to build our model railways (which is way more than just locos and stock) then that WILL make a difference, there is a whole railway modelling ecosystem which depends on the model shops in some form.
I appreciate that, of course, Roy, but you make it sound as if without locos and rolling stock retailers will just shut up shop. I can't envisage that ever happening as they will have to 'cut their coat according to their cloth' with model railway stuff as, with most of them, that's not all they sell
I think many would do exactly that Mick (shut up shop) as locos and stock are (1) the "bigger ticket" items that are relatively high value for the space they take up on the shelf and (2) facilitate the ability to buy everything you need in a single place.
Consider that say a Farish V2, non-sound, even if discounted to £180 will probably provide a gross "profit" contribution somewhere in the region of £30 to the retailer. How many packs of Woodland Scenics clump foliage at £10 a pack (maybe £2 gross which takes up four times the space on the shelf) will it take to generate the same return?
It currently still works (just) because the first offsets the second, but if all a shop could stock is low ticket items, then the amount of shelf space needed (and the cost of it) given the level of stock turnover necessary to generate the same level of profit would make the whole business model unviable for a typical model shop given that all the big overheads are fixed costs.
Roy
This news does raise some interesting questions but, for me, mainly just as a casual observer of the OO scene.
I'll be interested to see where it goes, many elsewhere seem to think Heljan will become Accurascale's "Railroad" range but their MO doesn't seem to fit with many of the compromises in Heljan models (printed nose doors on a 4mm class 26 anyone?) Also thoughts elsewhere that the big 2 will need to change their pricing structure. Don't see that either, Branchline new tool diesels seem more a competitor for the main Accurascale range.
Heljan don't always have the retailer presence of other brand either. This was the rationale given when a few of their models appeared in the early days of the EFE rail development.
What does seem clear is that Accurascale are the leaders when it comes to self promotion(and nothing wrong with that). Meanwhile Bachmann carry on largely in their established way with good new models arriving with reasonable regularity, N included.
I suspect being unable to stock Heljan will be an annoyance for some retailers, especially those who had taken pre-orders, but this is not the biggest challenge the small independants have faced, not when compared to the growth in Internet shopping for example
Quote from: Roy L S on March 27, 2026, 10:28:28 AMQuote from: Newportnobby on March 27, 2026, 10:11:25 AMQuote from: Roy L S on March 27, 2026, 09:57:03 AMThe point is though that if there is a gradual direction of travel towards direct sales only, each manufacturer going down the route will mean less products for a model shop to stock making it harder and harder to survive. As we depend on those models shops for everything we need to build our model railways (which is way more than just locos and stock) then that WILL make a difference, there is a whole railway modelling ecosystem which depends on the model shops in some form.
I appreciate that, of course, Roy, but you make it sound as if without locos and rolling stock retailers will just shut up shop. I can't envisage that ever happening as they will have to 'cut their coat according to their cloth' with model railway stuff as, with most of them, that's not all they sell
I think many would do exactly that Mick (shut up shop) as locos and stock are (1) the "bigger ticket" items that are relatively high value for the space they take up on the shelf and (2) facilitate the ability to buy everything you need in a single place.
Consider that say a Farish V2, non-sound, even if discounted to £180 will probably provide a gross "profit" contribution somewhere in the region of £30 to the retailer. How many packs of Woodland Scenics clump foliage at £10 a pack (maybe £2 gross which takes up four times the space on the shelf) will it take to generate the same return?
It currently still works (just) because the first offsets the second, but if all a shop could stock is low ticket items, then the amount of shelf space needed (and the cost of it) given the level of stock turnover necessary to generate the same level of profit would make the whole business model unviable for a typical model shop given that all the big overheads are fixed costs.
Roy
I hear what you're saying, Roy but, unusually for me, I don't see such a doom laden future. OK, any model shop with 'Railways' in their name would have to change it and, undoubtedly, there would be many redundancies and reduction in shop size maybe but much depends on the owners. If they are dyed in the wool model railway people they would almost definitely shut up shop but if they are just dedicated retailers of modelling products I think not.
Any road up, I'll be dust on the breeze before this would happen, I reckon :dighole:
@Suffolk Rob in isolation I agree, the loss of Heljan products to retailers will for most model shops either be a minor inconvenience or if not stocked, have no impact at all.
It is the wider impact of the DTC (Direct to Consumer) model on the viability of model shops if it becomes more widely used by manufacturers that is the concern. Admittedly at this point it is only a theoretical concern and with Bachmann's ethos of not selling direct and only supplying bricks and mortar model shops there is hope it may not develop much further.
However with margins being squeezed there must be a temptation for some other manufacturers to consider the same approach over time. It may work for a while, but in my opinion it would in the end likely cause great harm to the hobby (and therefore their businesses) were it to become more widespread.
Roy
Quote from: Newportnobby on March 27, 2026, 10:57:10 AMAny road up, I'll be dust on the breeze before this would happen, I reckon :dighole:
I am sure you will be keeping your watchful moderator's eye on us for many years to come Mick!
Quote from: Roy L S on March 27, 2026, 11:07:38 AM@Suffolk Rob in isolation I agree, the loss of Heljan products to retailers will for most model shops either be a minor inconvenience or if not stocked, have no impact at all.
It is the wider impact of the DTC (Direct to Consumer) model on the viability of model shops if it becomes more widely used by manufacturers that is the concern. Admittedly at this point it is only a theoretical concern and with Bachmann's ethos of not selling direct and only supplying bricks and mortar model shops there is hope it may not develop much further.
However with margins being squeezed there must be a temptation for some other manufacturers to consider the same approach over time. It may work for a while, but in my opinion it would in the end likely cause great harm to the hobby (and therefore their businesses) were it to become more widespread.
Roy
You may well be right Roy but I think this may be a specific case.
I base only on what I read rather than any knowledge but I get the impression that Heljan would either have been sold or gone out of business.
When I add to that my uniformed impression that Heljan price and quality didn't always match,I begin to think that Accurascale think there are worthwhile sales in the range to justify further production but not at an RRP that allowed both manufacturer and retailer margin.
For all the value that others bring to railway modelling, the big 2 still seem to be that with the sheer variety of their tooling and if either went down this route that would be a game changer. But didn't Hornby go the opposite way with their TT range?
Seems to be some "support your independent retailer" content appearing on Facebook, I've had at least 2 emails with it too. (Rails and TMC)
Kernow and Gaugemaster have sent the same comms. Very interesting to see the retailers standing united. The whole thing appears to have left a very bitter taste in a lot of mouths, which I can understand frankly.
Trains4U's narrative on it was interesting - they're an Accurascale retailer and a Heljan one, but weren't told anything ahead of this, totally blindsided by it. I can't help but think Accurascale may need to climb down slightly on some of this.
Quote from: ntpntpntp on March 27, 2026, 01:38:11 PMSeems to be some "support your independent retailer" content appearing on Facebook, I've had at least 2 emails with it too. (Rails and TMC)
It's interesting that the thread on RMWeb moved as this one has from the acquisition message through outrage to what are the retailers going to do if everyone adopts a D2C model (and then it was locked by RM administrators).
I've had the emails too. The body text is the same from every retailer. Just the presentation and tweaks to make it retailer specific.
There are photos in the header blocks of 30 independent retailers (some of which don't stock Heljan, by the way) but the first two are Rails and TMC, so it feels like a retailer cartel quickly got together to launch their "Retailer First" campaign on the back of this message, in response to the D2C approach for Heljan.
It seems quite brutal. For example, Rail's own sponsored Warships with early 3 character headcodes are now no longer "available only at Rails", but are now "available only on Heljan's website", and at a lower price. Heljan 47s are now sub £100 or sub £200 with sound, whereas some box shifters are still trying to sell sound versions at 15% of the previous RRP of £350. I'm sure that the dust will settle, and retailers and manufacturers will get used to it, but I think the most important point to remember is if this business model was not adopted for Heljan, the firm would have gone bust.
Bob
Is that fact? I've not following the intricacies of the whole thing. AS don't seem to have covered themselves in glory at this point!
IMHO the biggest slap in the face to retailers is the massive (and in some cases it really is £hundreds) discount suddenly offered overnight online against stock they have already paid for based on now defunct RRPs.
In some cases retailer exclusives have also been snatched away and that feels a bit nasty.
Setting aside the ins and outs of the financial health of Heljan, the apparent lack of comms with their former dealers is, as some have said already, brutal.
Skyline2uk
Quote from: njee20 on March 27, 2026, 06:32:32 PMIs that fact? I've not following the intricacies of the whole thing. AS don't seem to have covered themselves in glory at this point!
If you mean the business model then yes, this approach is said by AS to be the only workable solution to saving Heljan.
Well they're not the ideal source of information on such things at this point. I read that Heljan weren't actively seeking a buyer, which is very different to being on the brink of collapse.
So I sat down with a large cup of coffee this morning and read the rather large and developing thread on acertain other forum. Rather more "drama" than the discussion here but that's not untypical. It seems to boil down to a few simple things.
1) manufacturers need retailers but little mention that retailers need manufacturers just as much if not more
2) when they stray into each other's areas it doesn't always end as planned. Examples could be Hornby's initial direct sales only approach to TT, or the direct manufacturing of "mainstream" models such as class 66 or Terriers by larger retailers.
3) Heljan becoming direct sale only probably isn't a "killer blow" for more than a very few retailers. But the lack of notice and the immediate availability of product at a lower price than those retailers paid puts a different complexion on it.
In isolation the n gauge picture looks a bit different.
Aside from Farish where Bachmann seem to continue doing what Bachmann do, giving us reasonably regular re-releases and new tooling
Upgrades from Dapol and a positive new approach for more niche products in their coaching ranges
Revolution's direct sales element does not seem to be impacting retailers ability to sell those same models. They also seem to acknowledge the value of their retailers in practical terms. I'm thinking of the new 66 batch being retailer only or the retailer only livery for the 128.
Similar for Rapido but seems to be stock that hangs around a bit longer with retailers I suspect this relates to some of the prototype choices.
But the concern if there is one for us N gaugers is that any significant change in retailers being able to make profits from OO that lead to significant model shop closures has an impact on availability of N gauge too
That said, I strongly suspect that cheap online Heljan stuff will generate a short term volume of sales and things will then quickly settle down again.
Quote from: njee20 on March 27, 2026, 07:57:00 PMWell they're not the ideal source of information on such things at this point. I read that Heljan weren't actively seeking a buyer, which is very different to being on the brink of collapse.
Well Heljan seem to have embraced it, and their senior staff are retained, so it can't have been too bad a deal.
Anyway, I expect it will all settle down in a while.
Bob